


honey

by dovedrome



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-05 12:26:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15863592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dovedrome/pseuds/dovedrome
Summary: "I'm sorry for your loss," Elijah spoke. It was another one of those times where she thought her ears were deceiving her, because it was another one of those times where she thought she could hear sincerity in his voice. Thats when she felt it. A small pang of... something... in her chest.





	1. Parties Aren't Fun After Nine

"C'mon Ella, just one more picture!"

Danielle sighed. Her father, Adam, had said, “Just one more picture!” about twenty pictures ago. Off to the side was her mother, Laura, looking equally if not more so annoyed than Danielle. She sighed through her nose and balanced a thin hand on her hip.

"Dad, you've taken more pictures than your phone can hold." Her brother, Liam, joked. He walked into the living room from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee.

"Really? That can happen?" Adam responded, looking innocently confused.

"No. We're just tired of sitting here." Her other sibling, Alex commented. They sat on the arm of the couch with a sour look on his face. It nearly matched their mothers.

Danielle couldn't help but let out a small snort. She felt a bit guilty when her father frowned.

"Sorry dad, but Alex is right." She chimed in after.

Adam sighed sadly.

"I suppose," He said. He put down his cell phone. "Once that boy gets here I'm taking more." He warned.

"Okay, dad," Danielle responded, with a smile and a roll of her eyes.

As if on cue, their doorbell rang. After a quick, “Got it!”, Danielle opened it. On the other side was her date, or, that boy, as her father referred to him.

Aaron Chamberlain was one of the only boys her parents ever approved of. This was probably because his parents went to her grandmother's church. That didn't matter to Danielle, though.

"Danielle Novak," He greeted. "You look absolutely stunning." He continued.

By the way he looked her up and down, she could tell he meant it. After all, she had picked out a pretty, two-piece, navy dress that was accompanied with lace around her bust. She picked some black heels to match. Her mother hadn't approved at all, but Danielle didn't really care. If she had to go to the Masquerade Ball, she would do it in an outfit she picked out. The only reason her mother criticized it was because it showed off Danielle's navel piercing, which she had been adamantly against in the first place.

"Aaron Chamberlain," Danielle gave him a once over. "I say the same to you."

And she really meant it too. He wore a crisp black suit with a blue tie. She was glad he picked one that matched her dress. He shot her a dazzling smile that lit up his hazel eyes with a soft glow. Aaron had twin dimples that framed his smile perfectly. His whole face was like a gift from above.

"Aaron, come in!" Called Adam.

Danielle stepped to the side to let Aaron in. She looked back at her father, who already had his phone back out. He had an excited glow dancing in his eyes.

 _This is going to be an incredibly long night._ She thought to herself with an internal sigh. She plastered a smile onto her face, despite her thoughts. She always thought it was best to stay optimistic.

After another round of picture taking, Danielle's mother shooed them off. Relieved, they escaped to Aaron's car. He revved the engine, and they began their drive to the Lockwood mansion.

Danielle didn't know too much about cars, other than being able to spot a nice one. And Aaron had a very nice one, a flashy black convertible. Though, sitting inside, she noticed a few things about it, besides the clean leather seats and the sleek interior.

Number one: It had an amazing sound system. The Bluetooth speakers connected to Aaron's phone. Danielle had to give him extra points for the classic rock. She drummed her fingers on her leg to the AC/DC that was currently playing.

Number two: A downside, it smelled like Axe. So much so that a less polite Danielle would've gagged. She supposed it was normal for a teenage boy, and if Danielle had her own car, it would probably smell like girly perfume. This fact didn't soothe her burning sinuses, however.

And number three: Another downside, per say, a condom could be seen poking out of the glove compartment. He was a teenaged boy with teenaged needs, so she supposed it was good that he kept them around. Though it made her wonder how many people he's screwed right where she was sitting.

 _Gross,_ Danielle thought. _Better to be safe than sorry, I guess._

In a flash, they were at the Lockwood mansion. Aaron pulled in to find a place to park while Danielle tied on her Masquerade mask. He then put on his, climbed out of the car, and rounded it to open Danielle's door. He held out a hand, to which she graciously took, and they linked arms to walk to the entrance of the house.

Walking was sort of a struggle for Danielle since the heels were new and not-so-broken in yet. Besides, she was used to wearing her beat-up Converse, which were much more comfortable. Danielle never was one to enjoy dressing up for fancy events. She hoped that all of the hair pulling and hours spent on makeup would be worth it.

"I wonder how much it costs to rent fire dancers." Danielle mused, admiring the late mayors' tastes. She also wondered how much it cost to learn. It looked fun and appealed to her daring nature.

Aaron let out a light chuckle in response.

"I don't know. Maybe you could get some for your eighteenth." He joked.

Danielle laughed in response. There was no way her mother would let her rent fire dancers. She didn't even let Danielle, nor her siblings, light the fireplace in their own house. She could use a fire right now, though. The light breeze chilled her exposed back. Her dress didn't cover it at all, save for a few straps.

"If it isn't Daniella Novák!"

The two had reached the stairs, and halfway up a voice called out to her. At the top of the stairs looking down was Mrs. Carol Lockwood. Danielle offered her a smile and a wave, to which she accepted and returned.

"It's great to see you, dear," She greeted warmly. Danielle had to let go of Aaron so that the woman could pull her into a tight embrace. Mrs. Lockwood let her go and gave her a quick head-to-toe glance. "I thought your mother had been joking when she said you were going to attend tonight. You look absolutely gorgeous."

"Well, looks like I'm here." Danielle flashed the woman another smile with a shrug. After it came a quick, thank you, ma'am.

Mrs. Lockwood nodded, giving her another one of those amiable smiles. It was different from the smiles she gave Aaron and the other guests. Carol Lockwood was like a second mother to Danielle. Danielle's own mother went to college with Carol. They grew so close that they were like siblings, so they raised their children together. Danielle and Tyler were automatically best friends for life.

"How've you been, dear?"

"I've certainly been better," Danielle let out a guilty laugh. "These shoes are killing me, though." She continued in a hushed tone.

Mrs. Lockwood laughed.

"How are you and Tyler? I'm sorry for the loss of Mr. Lockwood." Danielle sighed and drew her bottom lip in between her teeth. She wasn't sure whether it was a bad topic to bring up, but she knew it had to be said.

Mrs. Lockwood shook her head, solemnly.

"I've certainly been better as well. I think it's been harder on Tyler than he lets on. He seems a bit," She paused, trying to think of the right thing to say. "Distant." Mrs. Lockwood continued with a small frown.

Danielle could only nod in return. She pressed her lips together to spread her lipstick. Danielle was worried about Tyler, though. He hadn't even texted her in a while.

"But," Mrs. Lockwood exclaimed, back to her normal tone. "I can always count on you to cheer him up, right?"

Danielle nodded again, except this time more confidently.

"Of course. I'd do anything to help him."

Mrs. Lockwood took Danielle's hands in her own.

"Thank you very much, Danielle. You've always been so reliable and caring." She squeezed.

"It's no problem, really." Danielle insisted, a bit sheepishly.

Mrs. Lockwood let her go with a smile. After she greeted Aaron, she told them to go enjoy the party, and to the party, they went. Once inside the house, Aaron asked the question everyone always asked:

"Are you and Lockwood a thing?"

"Definitely not," Danielle replied, just as she always did. "Our moms were like sisters, so we grew up together. We're just best friends, like siblings." She explained.

"Oh, okay."

"Now that that's settled," A playful smile frolicked across Danielle's open mouth. "Let's go dance."

Danielle practically dragged Aaron out to the dance floor. Between Aaron's two left feet and Danielle's heels, they laughed over how ungraceful the two of them were. Other couples practically had judgemental written on their foreheads. But Danielle didn't care and Aaron didn't notice. They were having fun. After a few songs, and a few cups of punch, Danielle had needed to use the restroom. She excused herself and made her way to the guest bathroom.

She looked in the mirror and pinned back a few dark brown unconquered curls that had sprung loose from her elaborate updo. After a reapplication of lipstick, she deemed her makeup to be pleasing. She was finally feeling the payoff of hours spent in front of the mirror. Danielle had to admit, Liam knew what he was doing when he suggested winged eyeliner and silver highlight. She was glad his cosmetology degree was coming in handy. With a smile to herself, partially checking her teeth for any lipstick, she closed her clutch and exited the bathroom.

Danielle knew the Lockwood mansion better than her own house. When she was younger, she used to marvel at how big and shiny everything was. Now, she can point out every new painting or ornate vase. Halfway to the doors that lead outside to the backyard, her phone lit up with few texts from Aaron.

 **AARON:** Gonna go hang out with some friends. But I'll see you later ;

 **AARON:** If you want to leave early, just text me.

 _How classy._ Danielle thought sarcastically.

She knew what that kind of text meant. In reality, he was going to go with his friends and get absolutely hammered. Danielle hoped he was alright to drive them both home. She also didn't like that winky face. No matter how nice his car was, there was no way she was losing her virginity in the back seat.

Not paying attention to where she was walking, she nearly ran into Elena Gilbert. Odd. She was supposed to be at home with her aunt Jenna, who had just suffered an accident.

"Danielle!" Elena called out. A smile stretched across her open mouth. She took off her mask to gave Danielle a head to toe look, then nodded with an approving eye. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks, Elena," Danielle tried to hide the confusion from her voice. "You look hot. That dress totally compliments your figure."

Elena's short, form-fitting black dress really did compliment her figure, yet Danielle found it strange. The Elena she knew would never wear something so revealing.

"Awe, thank you," Elena responded.

"So what're you doing here?" Danielle asked. "I thought you were staying home with Jenna. Plus your whole," She paused, looked to see if anyone else was listening in, then lowered her voice. "Stefan situation? I know you were pretty broken up over it."

Danielle paused, realizing what she just did. She shifted her weight from side to side to hide her blush.

"Wow. I've gotta be the most insensitive friend in the world. Sorry for the unintended pun."

Elena laughed.

"No, no, don't worry about it," She brushed it off. "I'm here to show Stefan what he's missing."

 _Huh._ Danielle thought. She preferred Stefan to Damon, but the Elena of a few hours ago wasn't too keen on trying to win him back. The Elena of a few hours ago didn't even want to come to the Masquerade Ball.

"Well, you've gotta do what you've gotta do, I guess." She responded.

Elena nodded, then looked around.

"Did you not bring a date? I can't imagine you looking this dashing and not having a cutie by your side."

Danielle's eyebrows knitted together.

"I came with Aaron. You know, the kid from my nagymama's* church I told you about the other day?"

"Oh!" Elena's eyes lit up with realization. "Of course, that cute blond."

"Yeah, him," Danielle confirmed.

The oddities surrounding Elena were stacking up. First the dress, to the abandonment of her aunt, and now the memory issue. Danielle had a really bad feeling and wanted to end the conversation. Just as she was about to, Elena spoke again. Danielle mentally cursed.

"By the way, have you seen Caroline? I've been looking for her."

Danielle had in fact seen her best friend while dragging Aaron outside to dance. She looking quite anxious. It must've been due to the rocks her relationship had been going over. It seemed there was no hope for a good couple in Mystic Falls.

"Yeah, last I saw her was in the living room."

"Great," Elena responded. A smile placed itself upon her lips. She flipped her hair and tied her mask back into place. "I'll be going now, but it was nice talking to you."

"Yeah, good luck with Stefan, ‘Lena."

Elena giggled and wiggled her fingers in a little wave before walking past Danielle to the inner part of the mansion. Danielle stared after her until she was just another figure amongst the crowd. That was just, weird. Besides the other factors, Danielle noticed that Elena didn't curl her hair. Usually, she went all out for events. Even the way she talked seemed unusual. She had never heard Elena use the word dashing before.

Danielle shook it off. Elena could do whatever she wanted. She had just gotten out of an epic relationship. She was probably still shaken up about it. Danielle didn't blame her. She too was upset when she and her first love broke up. Simply put, the girl broke her heart. Danielle hadn't dated since. Nothing felt right after that.

Danielle continued her walk outside. On her way, she saw a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. She plucked a few from their plate and dropped them into her mouth. And then did the same with a few more. She hoped she didn't get bloated, but those were too good to eat just one or two.

Outside, Danielle found a few friends from the swim team.

"Hey there Ellie!"

Ellie was a nickname given to Danielle by Allison. Once she started it, the whole team joined in. It was in reference to the Olympic swimmer Elizabeth Beisel. Danielle didn't dislike the nickname, but it didn't feel like her. She supposed it was a bit flattering since they name her after a professional.

"How's it going?" Danielle asked, taking a seat on the bench beside them. Present were Allison and Caitlin.

"Great, our dates just went to get us some punch," Caitlin replied.

"Jon's such a gentleman, isn't he? You're so lucky, Caitlin." Allison gushed.

Caitlin groaned, hiding her face in her hands. Danielle and Allison laughed. It was cute how much Caitlin and Jon got so embarrassed over each other, but it was even cuter to see them so happy.

"So what's up with you?" Allison turned to Danielle.

"Aaron's missing in action. I think he's trying to get laid later, though.”

"With you?" Caitlin inquired.

"Well, yeah, I think so." Danielle bit the inside of her cheek to avoid ruining her lipstick.

"So are you going to do it?" Allison wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"What?" Danielle stuttered. "No, of course not." She waved her hands in front of her and shook her head.

"Why not? He's hot, rich, and,” Allison paused, a smirk turning up her glossy lips. “Hot." She ignored the pointed look Caitlin gave her.

"Because I don't want it to be in the back of a car. Plus, I don't even think I like Aaron like that." Danielle replied. She played with a strand of hair that had become unpinned from her bun.

“If you don’t like him in the potential boyfriend way, why’d you come here with him?”

Danielle shrugged, glancing over to Caitlin, who had asked the question.

“I mean,” She bit the inside of her cheek again. “I just don’t feel like he’s the person I should be dating right now. I don’t know, it’s weird.”

“Not the one?” Allison echoed back. “I’d love for a hottie like Aaron to sweep me off my feet.”

Danielle was about to remind Allison she had a boyfriend, but said boy and Jon came to whisk their dates away to the dance floor. She waved to them with a awkward laugh.

Danielle wished Aaron would come and whisk her away too. She was getting bored. She thought about seeking Tyler out. Whenever she was bored, she always went to see him and they got into some kind of fun trouble. They still had a record of never getting caught. Danielle liked to think that it was due to her quick thinking.

She shot him a text, asking him where he was and how his date was going. She knew he had brought Vicki Donovan, Matt's sister. Danielle tried to stay out of Tyler's relationships, but she knew the hook up was not going to last. Especially since Mrs. Lockwood didn't approve.

But, surprisingly, he didn't answer her message. She would've been worried if they had been at a sleazy, dangerous house party. Instead, they were at his families very formal and very safe Masquerade Ball, so she didn't stress over it. She sighed.

"What's got you down, Danny-boy?"

Danielle looked up, scowl already on her face. She knew that nickname anywhere. She jumped. The face of Damon Salvatore was way too close, and his crisp blue eyes glittered like aquamarine gems as he stared into hers. The only reason she knew what the gem looked like was because she was currently wearing them in her ears.

"It's nothing, Damon," Danielle brushed his fake concern off, turning away from him. "Go bother somebody else."

"C'mon, Dan," His faux hurt expression was easy to see through. The corner of his mouth fought to turn up into a smirk. "We're all having a great time, aren't we?"

"Sure. Now try not to worry too much and please excuse yourself." She rolled her eyes.

Instead of leaving, Damon plopped himself down beside her. Danielle sighed. She didn't really know what to make of Damon. While he was funny and, honestly, a little hot, most of her friends hated him. Especially Bonnie. The only reason Danielle wasn't too fond of Damon was because of how he treated Caroline. But the blonde seemed to be over it, and she actually gained quite a bit of confidence from it. But it didn't make what he did alright. Even so, Danielle sort of took pity on Damon, though she would never tell him. It would probably insult his huge ego.

Damon widened his eyes in that crazy, Damon-like way. Danielle had realized a while ago it was a signature look of his.

"Who said I was worried about you?"

Danielle could tell he was at least half-joking, from the smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes again with a crossing of her legs.

"You've seen Kath-," He paused as if he was going to say something he shouldn't. "Elena, around recently?" He corrected.

Danielle raised a brow but shook her head.

"Around an hour ago. She was on her way to find Caroline."

"Great!" He exclaimed, jumping up from his spot next to her. He was about to walk off, until he turned and said, "By the way, parties like these get boring quick. I suggest you go home. Like, now."

Without giving Danielle a chance to respond to the cryptic advice, he turned his back on her and walked away. It was a good back, but it didn't diminish her confusion. Once he was out of sight, intermingling with the crowd, Danielle pulled out her cell phone and texted Aaron. Scratch what she said about Damon before. He really creeped her out sometimes.

 _But whose Kath?_ Danielle asked herself  _Kath… Maybe Kathleen? Katherina? Katherine?_ That last one made her head hurt a little. She tried to rack her brain as to why, but she just couldn't remember. And why would Damon mix up their names? They don’t even sound similar.

Instead of dwelling on it, she stood from her place on the bench. Then she had a thought. No one would mind if she took off these awful shoes, right? She decided they wouldn't if she rounded the outside of the mansion instead of going through it, which is exactly what she did. Along her way to Aaron's car, she nearly dropped her heels out of surprise.

There stood Elena Gilbert, dressed in an everyday long sleeve shirt, tucking her cell phone into the back pocket of her trademarked boot cut jeans. Danielle blinked a few times, just to make it was real. When she knew it was, she approached the girl.

"Elena? What're you doing out here?"

Elena's head snapped towards Danielle in an instant, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. She took a step away from her, moving just enough for Danielle to gasp.

"Is that blood?" Danielle took a few quick steps towards the injured girl. "On your arm, and on your back," She trailed off, looked into Elena's eyes, eyebrows turned up with concern. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, Dani, really." Elena insisted.

Danielle didn't believe her.

"I just saw you like an hour ago. When did you have time to go home and change? And get hurt!"

Elena's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Then she blinked in realization.

"Oh, I just ran home to change. And the injuries aren't that big of a deal, I promise. Just a little accident."

"An accident? With your car?" Danielle pried.

"No! I just," Elena tried to think of an excuse.

"Don't worry about it. Do you need me you drive you home?"

"I mean that would be appreciated, but, that's not the elephant in the room right now." Danielle urged, uncharacteristically serious. She remembered that she had texted Aaron for a ride home, but she didn’t want to leave Elena alone with injuries.

"Look, I'm fine. I don't even feel it. Let's just go."

Danielle decided to stop pressing. She knew that if she kept asking questions Elena would snap shut like a clam. Elena was about to turn around to lead the way to her car until she shrieked:

"Danielle! Watch out!"

Danielle jumped as a rag was suddenly pressed against her mouth. She swung her arms wildly, her shoes colliding with her captor a few times. She accidentally inhaled while trying to scream. Danielle realized her mistake the minute she smelled the chloroform. In a matter of seconds, she felt her body go numb. She heard the clatter of her heels hitting the pavement. Her body soon followed as she was dropped to her knees, before falling over onto her side.

Danielle couldn't do anything but watch as the man went after Elena next. Oddly enough, he was in a clown costume. She recognized it as one of the guards that were stationed at the entrance of the mansion.

 _Damn clowns,_ Danielle cursed to herself. _I've never liked you guys._

Her eyelids drooped and felt heavy. She fought her hardest to keep them open, but against her will, her eyelashes batted together and with one final blink, her eyes shut as she succumbed to unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates Every Saturday. Leave a comment if you enjoyed!!
> 
> *“nagymama” — translates to “grandmother” in Hungarian


	2. Ironically Alive

Danielle's eyes fluttered open to streams of sunlight. Normally she’d have her curtains closed, especially on a Saturday morning. Alex must've opened them. She sat up, running a hand through her hair. Odd. It was still pulled up into that elegant bun, though now it was a bit messy. She felt a throb in her head. Maybe someone spiked the punch? Or maybe it was because all she had to eat the day before was breakfast and those chocolate covered strawberries. 

She looked down at herself absentmindedly. Unsurprisingly, she was wearing the same clothes from the previous night. Knowing herself as well as she did, Danielle concluded that she got dropped off at home and immediately climbed into bed. She let out a small snort. It was then she noticed she wasn’t in bed. And then she noticed the couch below her didn’t resemble her couch whatsoever.

_ Where am I? _ She asked herself. She tried to remain calm as she scounged up the events of last night.  _ Oh my God. The clown. The kidnapping. Where was Elena?! _

Danielle whipped her head from side to side, scanning the room for her injured friend. Fortunately, she found her unconscious on the other end of the couch. She seemed to sport a new mark. A clean red handprint across her cheek. It looked to be fading, though.

_ What should I do? _ She knew she had to stay calm. Even though she was angry and confused, both those emotions could get her hurt or even killed. Who knows what kind of people kidnapped them? Danielle hoped it wasn’t human traffickers.

She shook off the thought, placing one barefoot on the ground. She immediately pulled away. The floor was cold and very, very dirty. She glanced around for her shoes, but realized she had dropped them during her struggle. Steeling herself, she placed her feet back onto the floor and approached Elena. Danielle released a relieved sigh. She took a few steps away from the couch to look around the room. She winced when the floor below her creaked.

The room that surrounded the two girls looked like it had been uninhabited for a while. Excessive amount of dust could be seen coating the outdated furniture and glittering in the sun’s rays, which poured in through gaps in badly boarded up windows. The only other source of lighting was from a chandelier that sat pitifully on the floor. Danielle took a deep breath in. Then exhaled. It made her feel better, steadied her rapidly beating heart, or tried to. She decided to let Elena remain sleeping. Judging from the almost-faded handprint, she had met their captors. Danielle turned around, looking for an exit. Instead, she found a man staring at her curiously.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her. She jumped, but was afraid to break eye contact. All Danielle could see in the man’s eyes was a hunger. He seemed to be amused by her fright.

“Who are you?” Danielle stuttered. “What do you want?”

“That's exactly what your friend asked when she woke up,” The man laughed at her. His eyes wandered from Danielle to Elena. “Rose told me not to touch the Doppelgänger, but maybe she'll be lenient with you?” He looked back into her eyes.

Danielle’s mouth dropped, her eyes widened. His canines grew into fangs, and at once his whole face changed into something monstrous. The whites of his eyes shifted to a bloody red while veins snaked out from under the skin below his eyes. The corner of his open mouth tugged up into a smirk. A scream caught in Danielle’s throat before ripping through. It was the loudest scream Danielle had ever emitted, not that she was keeping track. The man laughed, moving to sink his fangs into her neck. 

Suddenly he was ripped away. To put even more distance between them, Danielle stumbled backwards, collapsing on the couch behind her. Elena has woken up, probably due to Danielle’s screaming. She took Danielle’s hand in her own and squeezed it to comfort her.

In the man’s place was an angry looking woman with shaggy hair. She practically had steam arising from her ears as she barked angrily at him.

“Trevor! What did I tell you earlier!”

Trevor stood, wiping the dust from his pants. His face had morphed back into that of a normal mans.

“C’mon, Rose!” He exclaimed. “I didn’t know that one was important too!”

Questions danced on the tip of Danielle’s tongue, but her lips pressed together like locked doors. She was still too shaken to speak, and instead tried to organize her thoughts. So this Rose, who looked to be in charge, didn’t want Danielle and Elena dead. That was a good thing, though Danielle couldn’t imagine what they had planned. Maybe for money? To use them for ransom? Again, she really hoped it wasn’t human trafficking. Before she could actually organize anything, Elena spoke.

“What do you want with us?”

“Do I need to say it again?” Rose asked. Trevor had scurried out of the room. “I want you to be quiet. And you,” She turned her narrowed gaze towards Danielle. “Be grateful.”

Danielle nodded multiple times, fearful of what would happen if she disagreed. The woman turned away from her, following Trevor out of the room. Elena jumped up, for some reason eager to trail them. Danielle grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down onto the couch.

“What’s going on? Who are these people,  _ what  _ are they?” Danielle spat out the first few questions she thought of.

“Danielle, I’m so sorry,” Elena apologized. “You weren’t meant to find out, much less like this.”

“Just tell me! I need something to wrap my brain around!” Danielle exclaimed. She was feeling rather exasperated, among everything else.

“They’re vampires, Dani,” Elena admitted. “We’ve been kidnapped by vampires. And I’m so sorry you’re involved, I’m sure they only wanted me.”

The word vampire made Danielle’s head hurt. Not only because it was completely unbelievable, but because it filled her with a strange sense of sick nostalgia, but she wasn’t sure why. She tried to shake the feeling.

“Elena, vampires aren’t real.” The words came out unsure, simply because of her previous thoughts.

“Then how would you explain that man’s face? And why would I lie now?” Elena made a good point. But then suddenly it occurred to Danielle that Elena must’ve known about vampires for a while before this.

“So you were lying to me before this?”

“Dani, c’mon, you understand why I had to, right?” Elena asked. She sighed when Danielle glanced away from her, hesitant to answer. “I promise I’ll explain everything later, I just need to find out why we’re here.” Elena slipped her wrist from Danielle’s now feeble hold. She stood again and forced a smile before turning away and exiting the room.

Dropping her head in her hands, Danielle sighed. In just one night, her whole world was flipped on its head. One of her best friends had been lying to her. Who else had been apart of it? Everyone? Probably. Anger flared up inside her, but it was smothered by disappointment and hurt. Trying her best to set it aside, she thought about what Elena had said.

_ Vampires, _ A disbelieving laugh escaped her lips.  _ That was a side of bad romantic fiction I’d never like to experience ever again.  _ Unfortunately, it seemed she didn’t have a choice. Instead of sitting around doing nothing, Danielle decided to go after Elena, to find out more information and to make sure she didn’t die. She stood and left the room, avoiding the creaky spot in floor, though she supposed it didn’t matter anymore.

She barely lifted her feet from the floor, fearing her footsteps would give her away. The floor almost hurt to walk on, and she knew she probably had about a million splinters. Walking around the house made her grudgingly wish she had her shoes, though she didn’t weigh blisters versus cold, dirty and splintered.

Danielle paused when she heard the voice of Trevor coming from a nearby room.

“Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?”

“They say he got it.”

“Wonderful. And what?”

As Danielle listened in on Rose and Trevor's conversation, she spotted Elena listening in too. She hung out near the doorway. Danielle gave her a confused look. Elena shot her a look in return, mouthing:

“Stay quiet.”

Danielle nodded, stood next to Elena, and they continued to eavesdrop.

“So that's it, Trevor. He either got it or he didn't. We just have to wait.”

“Look, it's not too late. We can leave them here. We don't have to go through with this.” Trevor sounded anxious, or afraid.

“I’m sick of running! And Elijah’s old school. If he accepts our deal, we’re free.”

“Who’s Elijah?”

Immediately, Rose and Trevor turned to Danielle as she entered the room. As much as she didn’t want to engage them, she knew they didn’t want her dead. Danielle jumped, heart racing as Rose appeared in front of her. She wished they’d stop doing that. It will, guaranteed, startle her every time.

“Your worst nightmare,” The woman hissed, narrowing her eyes. She caught Elena when the girl made a board squeak underneath her. “And you! There's nothing around here for miles. If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong.”

The woman gave them looks of contempt before exiting the room. Elena quickly followed after her, leaving Danielle alone in the room with Trevor.

Danielle turned her attention towards him. He was already looking at her when she did. He still had that glint of hunger in his eyes, except he didn't look keen on acting on it this time. That was a start, right? Now all Danielle needed to do was ask a few questions. She steadied herself before asking:

“Are you and that woman, Rose, vampires?”

Amusement curled up the corner of Trevor’s open mouth as he spoke.

“Didn’t think you’d know about vampires, Angel Face.”

Danielle suppressed a nose crinkle. She wasn’t too fond of nicknames, especially from weird strangers who have kidnapped her.

“I didn’t until a little bit ago.” She couldn’t help but sound a little bitter.

“Someone sounds upset.” Trevor commentated.

“I’m not upset,” Danielle objected. “Just frustrated, so I’d really appreciate it if you could tell me what me and Elena are doing here. What do you guys want with us?” She continued urgingly.

“I guess I could indulge you,” Trevor shrugged. He picked up a board and started hammering it onto the window. “Me and Rose have been on the run for over five hundred years.”

_ Five hundred years? _ Danielle’s eyes nearly ejected from their sockets. Living for one hundred years made her mind spin, multiplying it by five hurt to think about.  _ What happened five hundred years ago? _ Did they even put that in history books?  _ Sorry Mr. Saltzman, I don’t really pay attention in your class. _

“As to what we want with you,” Danielle shifted her attention back Trevor. “We don't personally want anything with either of you. We’re trying to get out of an old mess, or rather,” He paused, looking a bit guilty. “Rose is trying to get me out of an old mess.”

“So who's this Elijah guy? Another vampire? Is he the one you're running from? Why?” Danielle asked. Once the first question came out, the others rolled right after it.

“Take a breath,” Trevor replied with a grin. Danielle recognized it as a joke, but didn't laugh. “He’s  _ the _ vampire. An Original.”

“Like,” Danielle thought aloud. “One of the first vampires?” It only made sense. Like how Brendon Urie was an original member, and one of the firsts, of Panic! At The Disco. Now he was the only member, but that didn't matter for this context.

“Right on,” Trevor affirmed with a nod. “We, no, I put my trust into the wrong person, and betrayed him. Ever since then we’ve been running.” He took a step back from his window project. To Danielle, it didn’t look very good, but it must’ve been satisfactory to Trevor.

“So what do me and Elena have to do with that?”

“You don't have anything to do with it, actually. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and our guy was a bit sloppy.” He shrugged.

Danielle accidentally released sighed of relief. If she could take it back, she would’ve. It was selfish to be relieved, because if they didn’t mean to take her, it meant they had something planned for Elena. No matter what secrets she’s been keeping from her, Elena was still one of her best friends. Danielle didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. But then she had another thought: If she didn’t have any part in this, what would happen when this Elijah guy showed up? Trevor and Rose didn’t want to kill her but Elijah The Original Vampire sounded much more threatening.

“Then what’s Elena got to do with this? She’s not a vampire, or at least, not that I know of.”

“You’re friend’s the Petrova Doppelgänger,” Trevor shrugged again, pausing when he noticed Danielle’s confusion. “She didn’t tell you? Some friend she is.”

“Yeah well, if I knew about shit like this I would try to keep my friends blissfully ignorant too.” Danielle immediately jumped to Elena’s defense, as always.

But then she had a another thought:

_ Would I? _

Trevor hummed, unconvinced. Danielle shot him a look before turning away, and leaving the room. She wanted to hear Elena’s side of the story, as well as wanting to get out of Trevor’s general area before he decided to try and take another bite. She followed Elena’s voice to a different room where she and Rose were alone.

“You got me, okay? It's not like I can go anywhere. The least you can do is tell me what you want with me.”

“I personally want nothing; I’m just a delivery service.”

“To Elijah, right? To get out of an old mess?”

Both Rose and Elena turned as Danielle entered the room. Elena looked a bit surprised, and Rose looked irritated.

“Trevor talks too much,” Rose uttered. “But yes, to get us out of an old mess.”

“But who's Elijah? A vampire?” Elena asked. She looked back and forth between Danielle and Rose, not knowing who would answer.

“An Original Vampire. You should know what it means, since you’ve known about vampires longer than I have.” Danielle didn’t mean to be rude, but it just slipped out.

Elena shot Danielle an apologetic look, but it soon turned to frustration as Danielle’s word set in. She pursed her lips and turned back to Rose before speaking.

“What does that mean? An Original?”

“Again with the questions,” Rose complained, rolling her eyes. “Haven’t the Salvatore's been teaching you your vampire history?”

Danielles’ eyebrows shot up.

“Salvatores? Stefan and Damon?” She asked Elena.

Elena sighed, and the guilty expression came back again.

“Stefan and Damon are both vampires.” She explained. She turned to Rose again while Danielle sighed internally.

_ Of course they were. _ She thought to herself.

Well, Damon she could understand. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t unsee it. A tall, dark and mysterious man who wore leather jackets and acted arrogant was a vampire stereotype. But Stefan? Well, Danielle supposed she could see that as well. He was also a tall, dark and mysterious man, but he was very broody. Broody vampires were also a vampire stereotype. But to think Elena was the Bella Swan of Mystic Falls. It made Danielle wonder if werewolves existed too.

She tuned backed into Elena and Roses’ conversation.

“Who are the Originals?” Elena had asked.

“Trevor and I have been running for five hundred years,” Rose replied with a sigh. “We’re tired. We want it over. We’re using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess.”

Danielle pretended to peruse a book shelf by the window. It too was boarded up but small streams of sunlight trickled in through gaps. It made her feel safe. She doubted real life vampires sparkled like in Twilight. Why else would they be covering it up? All the titles on the shelf were too hard to read through the dust, and Danielle didn’t want to touch any of them. Instead, she used the bookshelf to lean against.  

“But why me?” Elena questioned. Danielle watched her eyebrow jump up.

“Because you're a Petrova Doppelgänger. You're the key to breaking the curse.”

Curse. That word made Danielle feel a bit uneasy. Vampires, and now magic? What else are there? Ghosts, mermaids, zombies? Hopefully not zombies. Mermaids she wouldn’t mind, and she had never had a paranormal experience, so she presumed she was safe from apparitions.

“The curse? The sun and the moon curse?” Elena supplied more questions.

“Oh, you do know your history.” Rose quipped.

“What do you mean I’m the key?” Elena asked. She reconsiders and adds, “The moonstone is what breaks the curse.”

Rose gave her a look.

“No, the moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it.”

“The sacrifice?” Asked both Danielle and Elena. They looked at each other. The moment would've been funny if not for the situation. Neither of them even smiled, though Danielle was tempted.

“The blood of the Doppelgänger, you're the Doppelgänger,” She looks directly at Elena. “Which means, in order to break the curse you're the one who has to die.”

The room went silent as Danielle and Elena stared at Rose. Or rather, Elena stared at Rose while Danielle looked back and forth between the two. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

“Tell me more.” Elena finally said as Trevor entered the room.

“Captivity has made her pushy, eh? What do you want to know, Doppelicious?” Trevor glances over at Elena with a flirty look on his face.

_ Creepy. _ Danielle thought. It reminded her of when Trevor called her Angel Face earlier. Plus,  _ Elena has a boyfriend. Or had. Or whatever they were. _ Their breakup could be just another lie.

Danielle sighed softly. Luckily, Elena, Rose and Trevor were too engaged in conversation to notice. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she wished her headache would go away. Or maybe for a grilled cheese. Food would be great, water too. She quickly banished the thought. Thinking about food would only make her hungrier, and thinking about water would only make her thirstier.

“He made the same mistake countless others did,” Rose paused to toss a glare at Trevor. “He trusted Katerina Petrova.”

“Katherine.” Elena asked, though it sounded more like an affirmation.

Was she the same Katherine Damon had been looking for? Danielle supposed it was another question to add to her ever increasing list.

“The one and only, the first Petrova Doppelgänger.”

“I helped her escape her fate,” Trevor chimed in. “And now I’ve, sorry, we’ve,” he paused, sending an apologetic look to Rose. She rolled her eyes. “Been marked ever since.”

“Which is why we’re not going to make the same mistake again.” Rose said.

She walked out the room dramatically. This time, Elena didn't follow her, all questions answered, apparently. Trevor followed her shortly after, leaving Danielle and Elena alone. Danielle turned to the other girl.

“Elena,” She started. Danielle continued when Elena gave her her attention. “Look, sorry I was a bit of a jerk, but let’s talk?”

Elena smiled, looking genuinely apologetic. She nodded.

“Sure thing. Let’s go sit down.”

They found their way back to the room they woke up in, and sat down on the ugly sofa. For a minute, they almost forgot they were stuck in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. It kind of felt nostalgic of when they’d get into fights as kids. Caroline and Bonnie used to force them to sit down together and talk out their problems so that they’d all be able to have fun together again, and not worry about picking sides.

“So how long have you known about vampires?” Danielle asked awkwardly.

Elena sighed through her nose and pursed her lips. She glanced away, then back at Danielle.

“Since the beginning of the year? Stefan told me after a few months of us dating.”

“And who else knows? And why didn’t you think of confiding in me?” Danielle couldn’t hide the emotion in her voice. She hated dishonesty, especially when it came to the people she cared about.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell you!” Elena exclaimed. “It wasn’t my secret to tell. Plus you’d be safer that way, please understand that.” She shot Danielle another apologetic look. “As for who else knows, there’s Bonnie and Caroline, and Jeremy, but he found out through someone else. Oh, and Alaric’s a vampire hunter.”

“A vampire hunter? Our history teacher?” Danielle was shocked. Alaric Saltzman was so nice, and looked like the kind of guy who would never hurt a fly, much less kill people. “Wait, Bonnie and Caroline?”

“Yeah. But it’s only because,” Elena paused to bite the inside of her cheek. She looked unsure whether she wanted to tell Danielle the truth. “Caroline's a vampire and Bonnie’s a witch.”

“My best friend is a vampire!” It was supposed to be a question, but it came out an exclamation. Elena winced, though she should’ve known how Danielle was going to react. “And Bonnie’s a witch?”

“Yeah, remember all that stuff about her being psychic? It wasn’t too far off the mark.” Elena punctuated the sentence with a hollow laugh, but Danielle wasn’t paying attention.

Danielle was currently trying to put herself in Carolines’ shoes and figure out why she hadn’t told Danielle about her vampirism. Elena, she could sort of understand, it wasn’t her secret to tell. But Caroline? Caroline told Danielle everything. Even the stuff she didn’t want to hear, especially her latest boy drama. Danielle bit her lip to make sure she didn’t say anything she’d regret. She really wished she could go home and sleep on this, but she couldn’t.

“Look, I understand why you’re upset. You have every right to be, but right now we have to stick together,” Elena practically pleaded. “You can be angry with me when we’re safe at home and can talk this over with everyone.”

Danielle sighed. She pulled her hair out of her bun and shook her head, letting her curls cascade down and surround her. She considered leaving it down, but decided to tie it up into a high ponytail instead. When she was done, she glanced over to Elena, who was still waiting for her response.

“Right. ‘Kay,” Danielle said. “So it was me, and…” She trailed off so that Elena could finish the sentence.

“Matt, Jenna and Tyler, I think.”

A relieved exhale escaped Danielle’s lips. She was glad that her other best friend wasn’t lying to her, even though it would’ve been easy to tell. Tyler was one of the worst liars Danielle had ever known.

“Caroline hasn’t told Matt she’s a vampire, and they’re dating?” Danielle supposed this was the reason they were on the rocks. Caroline must be having a hard time being around him and having to lie to him. She had been distant with Danielle lately too, now that she was thinking about it.

Elena rolled her eyes with a breathy laugh and a shake of her head.

“Yeah. I guess she doesn’t want to tell him because it’ll freak him out, and he’ll break up with her.”

Danielle answered it with a roll of her eyes and a laugh of her own. Of course Caroline would overthink it, as usual. She met Elena’s eyes and, for a minute, her worries faded into the background. But then it all came crashing back in, and Danielle broke eye contact. She wasn’t sure if she could trust Elena. After all, what was all that talk about Doppelgängers?

Before she could ask another question, Elena tapped her on the arm, and motioned to a piece of paper she held in her hand. Danielle read it with furrowed brows. It read:

“Stefan and Damon are coming for you. — B”

Danielle looked back at Elena. She decided to put aside their differences and think with an optimistic outlook. The other girl looked back at her with a smile. They both let out sighs of relief at the same time. It almost made them laugh. Elena jammed the piece of paper back into her pocket as Rose entered the room.

“You two, stay where you are. No more wandering around.” She ordered, voice strong and serious.

She didn’t say anything else, or even look anywhere but the ceiling. They wanted to ask what was wrong, but they already assumed the answer:

Elijah was on his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates every Saturday. Comment if you enjoyed!!


	3. Now Would Be A Great Time To Be Anyone Else

The longer the three of them were together in the same room, the thicker the tension became. A knife probably couldn't even cut it anymore. The only noise in the room were the footsteps of Rose, who paced along a wall with no windows, and Danielle, who tried her hardest to sit still but couldn’t keep her bare foot from tapping against the floorboards. She was surprised Rose hadn’t snapped at her yet, but she knew the vampire was as nervous, or maybe even more so, than she was. Elena had noticed Danielle’s fidgeting when it first started and took her hand in her own as a form of comfort. Danielle squeezed it in return, but it didn’t settle either of their nerves.

The air was cleared by Trevor speeding into the room. He nearly ran into a ray of sunlight, but avoided it just in time. He didn’t acknowledge either Danielle nor Elena, but bounded straight up to Rose.

“He’s here! This was a mistake!” Danielle had never heard a grown man sound so terrified. 

“No, I told you I would get us out of this,” Rose replied. She looked Trevor in the eyes, steadying her voice as much as possible. “You have to trust me.”

“No!” Trevor exclaimed, turning away from her. “He wants me dead, Rose!”

“He wants her more.” Rose insisted, motioning to Elena.

“I can't do this,” The vampire swung his arms around in rapid hand motions. “You give her to him, he’ll have mercy on you, but I need to get out of here.” He gave her a pleading look before turning away.

“Hey!” Rose shouted. She caught Trevor’s hands in her own, giving them a tight squeeze. “What are we?”

“We’re family,” He replied after a few deep breaths. He looked down at his hands in Roses. He put his other hand on top of hers. He then looked up into her eyes before saying:

“Forever.”

A knock on the door made the vampires jump, effectively ruining the moment. Danielle met Elena’s anxious eyes with ones of worry. If a simple knock startled these five hundred year old vampires, then what was the man who performed it like? Danielle didn't want to find out.

“You’re scared.” Elena uttered uneasily, a realization that was probably better off staying in her head. 

The vampires didn't respond.

“Stay here with them,” Rose ordered, locking eyes with Trevor. “And don’t make a sound.”

Rose waited for a timid nod from Trevor before climbing the stairs and leaving the room. Danielle noticed that she didn’t use her vampiric speed, probably to put more time between her and this Elijah guy. Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, she glanced up at Trevor. He didn’t look at either of the two girls, just stared at his feet below him.

She assumed he was listening to the conversation between Rose and Elijah. It was just out of earshot for her human ears, but with his vampiric hearing Trevor could probably pick up every uttered word. The only thing Danielle could hear were vague voices, one she recognized, Rose’s, and one she didn’t, a smooth, accented one she concluded was Elijah's. He sounded British.

The honey-voiced, British men weren’t human traffickers, right? They were usually CEO’s or something, not mafia bosses or drug lords. Danielle didn't know what was the worst situation to be in: human trafficking, drug trading, or a mafia hit. She decided she wouldn't like to be in any, but unfortunately was in something much, much worse.

Her eyes wandered their way over to Elena. The normally strong, confident girl didn’t look it now. In fact, Elena was much more terrified than she let on, and suddenly, Danielle realized that she felt the same. The curly haired brunette squeezed the hand that was still held within her own. When Elena glanced over at her, Danielle mouthed:

“Stefan and Damon are coming for us, remember? We’ll make it out of this.” With a reassuring smile. She tried to make it as bright as possible.

And though the rest of her body disagreed, Elena forced a smile to her face and nodded, fixing her gaze upon their hands. Danielle glanced back towards the door Rose had exited from. She hadn’t heard footsteps yet, just more conversation. Danielle shifted slightly to tuck her legs underneath herself, mostly to stop their shaking. Her head snapped up to the doorway when footsteps were finally audible. Danielle’s teeth found her bottom lip once more. She didn't care about ruining her lipstick anymore. Her whole look was probably ruined by now.

When the two villains arrived back into the room Danielle’s mouth almost dropped open. Screw villains, Elijah The Original Vampire looked like a Disney prince. She immediately drilled the red flags into her head and recomposed herself, but  _ damn _ was Elijah gorgeous. Tall men with dark hair and a sense of style had and always will be Danielle’s type. She watched Elena pick up her head to peer up at Elijah. With one final squeeze for support, Elena slipped her hand from Danielle’s grip and stood.

In an instant Elijah was in front of Elena. She gasped and tried to take a step back, but ran into the couch. Danielle watched her shoulders rise and fall quicker than usual. Elijah said nothing while he bent his head down into her neck. Danielle was worried he was going to sink his teeth into Elena like Trevor had tried to with her, but pulled away instead. Her worried dissipated, but she kept her guard up. With the way Elijah held himself and how his eyes scrutinized his surroundings, Danielle could say for certain that he was the most intimidating man she had ever seen.

“Human,” Elijah murmured. “It’s impossible,” He trailed off. He straightened his back to look into Elena’s eyes. “Hello there.”

Elena seemed to be either at a loss for words or too frightened to speak. Danielle understood both, and knew she would be the same if roles were reversed. Elena only took a quick glance at Danielle, and felt for her hand on the couch. Danielle met it and squeezed, to reassure her that they’d make it out of this. It was a promise, and Danielle hated breaking promises. 

When Elena turned her attention back to Elijah, Danielle’s eyes dropped down to her hands. Due to this, she missed the cursory once-over given to her by Elijah. She only looked back up at him when he turned away and said:

“We have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going.”

Elena’s eyes darted towards Rose. Finding her voice, she begged for mercy.

“Please don’t let him take us.” The vampire said nothing, only turned her head to avoid Elena’s doleful eyes.

“‘Lena…” Danielle whispered. She hesitantly rose to her feet to stand next to Elena, who shuffled to her as close as possible. 

Elijah turned back towards them, seeming intrigued by the outburst. Danielle tried to keep her expression neutral as she looked at him, but could feel the corners of her mouth being tugged down into a scowl. She wiped a sweaty palm on her now dirtied dress. The minute she and Elijah locked eyes, the world around her melted before away.

It turned into the outdoors, a village framed by trees. Danielle could tell right away what she was seeing didn’t take place in the modern era, due to the clothing and hairstyles of the people around her. It was as if she didn’t have a physical form, though, and couldn't interact with any of the people she saw. She heard voices, recognizing one in particular. She realized she was looking at Elijah, but barely recognized him with longer hair. Another man ran into the middle of the village, carrying a younger, half dead boy in his arms. The villagers instantly swarmed him while the man cried and apologized over and over. 

In a flash she was in a house. An older man, Elijah's father, held a woman's wrist up to Elijah’s mouth, forcing him to drink from it. Again the scene changed, this time to a countryside where Elijah stood with three others, his siblings, voting on whether or not to keep a man alive. It shifted to a castle, where they convinced the Count that they were nobles, and managed to integrate themselves into society. She saw how they were forced to run from country to country to escape the wrath of their father. With each and every scene that played after it, Danielle started to understand what she was watching. 

_ This is… Elijah’s past? _

Honestly, even though Elijah had spent nearly his entire life running from his father, Danielle was a bit jealous of the places he got to experience. She wanted to travel the world, and watching someone else do it just made her a little bitter.

She didn’t know how long she had been engrossed in the visions, but the minute she blinked, she was yanked back into her own body. She found herself staring into Elijah’s eyes and he into hers. Their expressions shifted into those of confusion, trying to understand what happened. Danielle was about to ask whether he had saw what she saw, but he turned away from her before she could even utter a word.

“Who is this? What is she doing here?” His voice was ice cold. 

“This is,” Rose faltered. She realized that she didn't even know Danielle's name. “She was with the Doppelgänger when we got her. You can take her, of course, if you'd like.” 

Elijah glanced back at Danielle. A shiver ran down her spine, though his eyes looked much warmer than they had before. She could feel a light blush creep up the back of her neck. She played with the hem of her dress as he turned back around to face Rose. Elijah nodded.

“As I said before, we should be going,” Danielle could see a smile turn up his lips. It didn’t reach his eyes. “One last piece of business and we’re done.” 

Elijah approached Trevor, who looked like he was about to throw up. Danielle was feeling pretty much the same. He looked Trevor up and down with a cold stare.

“I’ve waited so long for this day, Elijah,” Trevor started. He looked Elijah in the eye when he said, “I’m truly, very sorry.”

“Oh no, your apology isn't necessary.” Elijah replied offhandedly, circling Trevor like a panther. It looked like he was fishing for more begging, though, and Trevor was happy to do so.

“Yes, yes it is,” Trevor insisted. “You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you.” He looked away from Elijah, seemingly embarrassed by his past mistakes.

“Oh yes, you are the guilty one. And Rose aided you because she was loyal to you, and that I honor,” Elijah paused to stand in front of Trevor. “Where was your loyalty?”

_ Ouch. _ Danielle thought.

“I beg for your forgiveness.” 

“So granted.” 

Trevor gave Elijah a grateful smile. He looked as though weight had been lifted from his chest. Completely unbeknownst to anyone in the room, Elijah was anything but forgiveful. With no warning Elijah pulled a hand out of his pant pocket, raised his arm, and in a clear-cut movement, Trevor's head was smacked clean off his shoulders. Blood spurted from his neck as Trevor’s decapitated body collapsed to the floor and his skull rolled away.

The room went silent, aside from Rose’s sobs. Danielle had to look away, cupping a hand to her mouth to keep from vomiting. She never thought she would see anything like this in real life, not that she wanted to. The brunette generally wasn’t too good with blood, even getting her blood drawn made her squeamish.

Decapitation was on a whole new level, though. It something of gory horror films. Danielle now understood why her mother didn’t want her children watching that kind of thing, yet she was also glad she had gone against her mother's wishes, even though seeing it in film was nothing like the real thing. The smell alone was making it hard for Danielle to keep her vomit down, though it sat in the back of her throat, waiting for the right moment.

“You…!” Rose started, making her way to Elijah with heavy steps. She desperately wiped her eyes of tears, but more and more streamed down her face regardless.

Even though Rose had not only kidnapped her, but was also a five hundred year old murderous vampire, Danielle couldn't help but feel bad for her. No matter how bad she was, no one deserved to have their best friend decapitated in front of them. And screw whatever she said about Elijah before, he was worse than anyone she had ever met. He had the balls to stand there and look unbothered, as if he hadn't just murdered somebody. Even if that somebody wasn't innocent, didn't Trevor say he was just trying to protect a girl?

_ That was admirable, at least. _ Danielle thought.

“Don’t, Rose, now that you are free.” Elijah advised. He didn’t even face her, instead focusing on wiping his dirtied hand with a handkerchief. She stopped moving.

He turned his attention back to the two girls.

“Come.” Was all he said to them.

“No, what about the moonstone?” Elena asked. She could barely keep her voice from shaking.

“What do you know about the moonstone?” He questioned her in a harsh tone.

“I know that you need it and I know where to get it.” Danielle had to admit, she admired Elena's stall tactics. She hoped the Salvatore's were coming fast.

“Yes?” He sounded intrigued.

“I can help you get it.” She insisted.

“Tell me where it is.” 

“It doesn't work that way.”

Elijah shot her a look. 

“Are you,” He paused, clearly struggling to understand the situation. “Negotiating with me?”

He looked towards Rose with accusing eyes. 

“It's the first I've heard of it.” She told him. She seemed to have composed herself, but she was still breathing rather heavily. The minute Elijah looked away, she wiped her eyes again with the back of her hand

Elijah strided back up to Elena and stared into her eyes. She looked back, but kept up her strong act. He pulled away, eyebrows furrowing in frustration. He looked down to her necklace with a newfound sense of realization.

“What is this vervain doing around your neck?” He questioned, tugging it off. He threw it aside onto the floor. Danielle didn't know what vervain was, but what she did now  was that not appropriate time to ask. Instead she added it to her list of unanswered questions.

Elijah grabbed Elena’s face by her jaw and made her face him. He commanded her to tell him the information he wanted to know. This time, she complied and answered almost robotically. It must’ve been a vampire thing, like mind control? Again, another one for the list. Danielle tried to latch onto any reasonable subject she could, just to take her attention off of what was once Trevor. Her mind was spinning.

She accidentally found herself peeking over to Trevor’s body. Danielle regretted that choice immediately. His eyes were dull like a dead fish, face permanently frozen into a state of shock. The only dead people Danielle had ever seen were in caskets, and they were always so peaceful. This was nothing like that. There's was nothing peaceful in Trevors expression whatsoever. Promptly looking away, she tried to steady her breathing, but almost fell over instead. Elijah interrupted his almost one sided conversation with Elena to glance at her. 

“Is she alright?” He gave her a quick head-to-toe examination.

Elena seemed to snap out of the compulsion to catch Danielle’s shoulders before she could sway again.

“She’s not too good with blood. It makes her dizzy.” Elena explained, trying to soothe Danielle under her breath. It didn't work, but Danielle appreciated the sentiment.

Before Elijah could respond, the sound of broken glass grabbed his attention. He swept his eyes across the room before focusing on Rose. She looked back at him fearfully.

“What is that?”

“I don't know.” Rose stuttered.

“Who else is in this house?” He demanded.

Danielle managed to ground herself, though not for too long. Elijah swept her and Elena into his arms, and in a flash they were in a separate part of the house. Danielle really wished vampires would stop doing the super-speed thing, especially now that she had to experience it first hand. When Elijah came to a halt in the middle of the room, she could see blurred figures running past and around them. Danielle barely had enough time to throw a worried glance to Elena before the girl was tossed into Rose’s arms.

“Rose,” Elijah started, his tone questioning. 

He drew Danielle closer to him, probably to make sure she didn’t try to run away. This made his mouth much closer to her neck, his breath tickling her skin. It made her unable to think about anything except that mouth, and what could be done with a mouth like that. Danielle didn’t usually think about anything past PG-13, and she tried to keep it that way, especially right now, in this situation. 

_ He’s a kidnapper, Danielle. _ She reminded herself.  _ Also a vampire. He kills people. He decapitated Trevor right in front of you! _ A little voice in her head told her it didn't take away from the fact that he was incredibly sexy.

“I don’t know who it is.” Rose insisted, luckily halting Danielle’s train of thought.

“Up here.”

Danielle immediately recognized the serious voice of Stefan Salvatore, and for a second was relieved. That feeling was interrupted when Elijah sped upstairs, only to find nobody. Once again, she found herself wishing for the super-speeding to end. All the lurching of her body was starting to make her dizzy again.

“Down here.”

Again, Danielle immediately recognized the overconfident voice of Damon Salvatore. This time, her relief stayed throughout the speeding. Even though she trusted Stefan more, she knew Damon was crazy enough to do anything to save them.

_ Finally! The vampire’s are here to save us from the… vampires. _ She found the thought funny in an ironic way. She tried to keep the corner of her mouth from tugging up, though a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Luckily, she didn't think Elijah noticed. She didn't want him to think she was a nutcase.

A stake was plunged into Elijah’s hand, missing Danielle by an inch. It cause him to drop her, and before he could catch her with his other hand she was scooped up and away. With her back against the wall, all she had to look at was the face of uncharacteristically determined face of Damon, who held a hand to her mouth.

“Excuse me,” Elijah called out. “To whom it may concern, you're making a grand mistake if you think that you can beat me.” He paused, letting his words set in. “You can't. Do you hear that?”

The sound he was referring to was a loud splinter. Out of sight to Danielle, Elijah had snapped the coat rack near the front door into two. He threw half to the ground, and gripped the other half with a rough hand.

Damon caught Danielle's attention by sliding something into her hand. She looked down. It looked like, a grenade? She looked back up at Damon, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He placed a finger to her lips just as she was about to ask why she received it.

“I repeat, you cannot beat me,” Daniele could hear him walking. “So I want the girls, I'm going to count to three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?” 

“It's a vervain grenade. Throw it at him.” Damon mouthed to her with a motioning of his head.

“Three,” Elijah started.

Danielle tightened her grip on the grenade, glancing down at it. She still didn’t know what vervain was, but from the look of the weapon it was an herb. She looked back up at Damon in time to see him nodding his head to her. He seemed to be in an argument with his partner in crime. Damon scowled, then looked down at her.

“Two,”

“You ready?” He mouthed. 

Danielle’s eyes went wide. Ready for what? How was she supposed to throw this thing, her eyes darted down to the grenade and then back up to Damon, at Elijah? Damon decided to take her confusion as a yes, and just before Elijah got to one, she was pushed out from their hiding spot. She stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at Elijah. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she held her hands behind her back, hiding the grenade.

“We’ll come with you,” Danielle supplied, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. “Just please, don’t hurt my friends. They were just trying to save us, and they, uh, apologize for the stake in your hand.” She flashed Elijah a smile after a bit of nervous laughter. Danielle always had a bad habit of laughing or smiling in inappropriate situations. 

Elijah narrowed his eyes at her, and sped halfway up the stairs. Danielle felt her eyes wander to the very sharp looking homemade stake he held. It wasn’t aimed at her, but it didn’t make it any less threatening. If it was even possible, the sight of it made her heart rate increase. She bit her lip so hard it bled. She looked back to his face when he spoke.

“What game are you playing with me?”

Without saying anything, Danielle plucked the pin from it's holster and chucked the grenade straight at Elijah’s face. She was suddenly reminded of her childhood softball team, and hoped Coach Hedge would be proud of her throw. The bomb exploded, horrifically burning his face. Unfortunately, it healed quickly, and only served to distract Danielle as he grabbed her wrist. With a tug, she tumbled down the stairs.

She was dragged by gravity, her limbs tumbling over one another, twisting and hitting against the rise and runs of the stairs, her head tossed around like a single grape in a shaken bowl. Danielle hit it on the last step, hearing a sharp crack as her jaw clinked together. Her eyelids blinked rapidly as she tried her hardest to stay awake.  It was too much. She let them flutter shut, and took a final breath in, and fell unconscious.

* * *

 

As unfortunate as Danielle’s fall was, it supplied a good distraction for the Salvatores. The Original hesitated, listening to make sure she was still breathing. And in that moment, Stefan took the opportunity to tackle him. Elijah quickly rose, and readied himself for a counter attack, but was ambushed by Damon, who impaled him with the same stake Elijah had threatened them with minutes earlier.

While Damon was busy with that, Stefan decided to check on Danielle. He was glad to find that her pulse was steady. He stood to go check on Elena.

“How’s Danielle?” Was the girls first question. “Is she alright?”

“She’s fine,” Stefan answered. He embraced his girlfriend, sighing in relief that she was okay. He caught a dour look from Damon, who was crouched by Danielle’s side. “Go out to the car, we’ll meet you.”

Elena took a nervous glance down at Danielle unconscious body before nodding. She mouthed a, thank you, to Damon before leaving. Once she was out of hearing range, Damon spoke.

“We have an issue.”

“What is it?”

Damon nodded his head towards Danielle. The minute he did it, Stefan heard it. Or rather, he didn’t. Danielle wasn’t breathing anymore, no more heart beat either. He crouched down on her other side, repeating the actions he did a few moments earlier, checking her body for a pulse. When he found none, he looked up at Damon, who had stood with a scowl.

“No pulse…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates Every Saturday. Leave a comment if you enjoyed!!


	4. Crime Shows and Cake Boss™

Danielle woke up to the smell of leather. Not authentic, farm leather, rather, car seat lather. Opening her eyes, she found herself laying down in the backseat of a car. Her first thought was Damon, making her chest swell with relief. Danielle didn’t know how much longer she could spend with evil vampires. Her euphoria was interrupted by a throbbing pain. Placing a hand to the back of her head, she found a sizable bump.

_ That’s right, _ She thought.  _ I fell down the stairs. I probably have a concussion. _

Not wanting to sit up yet, she looked down instead. She was glad to know she was right about the car seats. It was too dark to make out the color, but she could tell they were leather. Past the seats on the floor was a cooler. Assuming she was in the car with vampires, she didn't want to look in there. 

With the happiness from earlier fading, a sense of uneasiness was settling in its place. There was something…off. There was no radio, no voices. The Damon she knew would be blasting some kind of classic rock, and Stefan and Elena were always talking about some book. She then remembered she was laying down across the back seat. In a car that held four people, there would be no room for her to extend her legs so far, meaning, she was alone. She could feel her heart rate increase. If she was alone, then were was Stefan or Elena? She knew Damon would never let anyone else drive his car.

_ There’s no way, _ Danielle thought.  _ I’m sure Damon just came back for me later, right? There’s no way I’m in the car with- _

“You’re allowed to sit up. I know you’re awake.” And there it was, just the smooth, British voice she hoped not to hear.

_ Holy shi- _

Reluctantly, Danielle sat up. Looking in the rearview mirror, she accidentally locked eyes with Elijah. She was glad the weird flashback thing didn’t happen this time. She pried her eyes away, focusing on the sunset outside the car window. For a moment she found herself thinking the sunset was rather pretty. The next moment was her gut reminding her to keep her guard up.

“How’d you know?”

“You’re heartbeat kept fluctuating.”

Danielle didn’t respond. She honestly didn’t know what to say, or how to feel. What kind of person was unlucky enough to be kidnapped twice in a row? And why her? Trevor, may he rest in, honestly, Danielle wasn't sure, said that they didn’t mean to kidnap her. And when Elijah showed up, he beelined straight for Elena. 

So why wasn’t Ms. Popular in the car? It just added more questions to Danielle’s list, questions that hurt to ask. Though, now she supposed she had two lists: one for Elena and one for Elijah. She didn’t know how he’d appreciate being interrogated, so she held off on any of the accusatory ones.

“Uh, Elijah, right?” She steeled herself for any bad response. “Can I ask where we’re going?”

“Richmond,” Came his reply. “I have some business there before going to Mystic Falls.”

_ Huh.  _ Danielle thought.  _ That was surprisingly easy. _

“I assume Mystic Falls is your prefered place of residence? We’ll be there in a day or so.”

With a small, “Oh, I see.” Danielle knew she should’ve felt grateful. At least he planned on returning her home in one piece. Or at least, that was what she hoped. But deep down, she knew that since she was here with Elijah, her friends must’ve at worst: died, or at least: abandoned her. The ache in her chest hurt more than the throbbing in her head. Both were bad, but the second option made her feel like a dead weight.

A sigh escaped her lips. She tried to make it quiet, but if Elijah could hear her heartbeat, then he would most definitely be able to hear her sigh. She leaned an elbow against the car door, resting her forehead in her hand. Danielle really wished this headache would go away.

“Hey,” She started. She continued when he looked at her through the mirror again. “Do you anything for a headache? Like, Tylenol or Aspirin, or something?”

Elijah thought for a moment.

“I’m afraid I do not,” He replied. “I’m sure the hotel staff would keep some. We can ask when we arrive.”

“Hotel?” The world slipped out of her mouth before she could even think about it.

“Yes,” Elijah nodded. “I hope you weren’t expecting us to sleep in the car.”

“I didn’t think vampires needed sleep,” Danielle commented aloud. “And I definitely didn’t expect hotels to have coffin suits.” She joked. 

It was accompanied by light nervous laughter, and she hoped Elijah had a sense of humor. He didn’t say anything in response, but as he looked away Danielle could see a shadow of smile on his lips. But she was probably just imagining it. She pressed her lips into her hand to hide a small smile of her own.

The two continued driving until they arrived in Richmond. Danielle was happy to see a sign a few miles back. Elijah turned into the parking lot of the first hotel they came across. “Quality Inn” was written on the side of the building. He found a spot surprisingly quickly and parked. She didn’t know what day it was, but considering how full the parking lot was, she assumed it was Saturday or Sunday. She hoped she’d be home in time for Sunday. 

Danielle climbed out of the car when Elijah did. He asked her to hand him the cooler from the back seat, and she did, while he shrugged a bag onto his shoulder. As they walked to the entrance, she got another good look at him. He looked a mess, as if he had been stabbed. He had put on a new blazer, but Danielle could still see small splatters of blood on his white dress shirt. She decided to follow after him silently. She knew trying to run away would be fruitless. A vampire was faster than a human any day of the week, plus, she was injured and wasn't wearing shoes. Though, her heels would’ve probably slowed her down.

When they entered the front lobby the only person present was the receptionist. Danielle watched her do a double take on Elijah. Was that what she had looked like back at the house? After the lady was finished gaping at the vampire, her eyes glided over to Danielle. She could feel the woman’s odd look as Danielle avoided eye contact. Meanwhile, Elijah arranged their room.

_ I must look like hell, _ Danielle thought to herself.  _ I’m sure our room’ll have a shower, but I don’t have any other clothes…  _

“I’m sorry sir, I can’t move you up to the room with two beds,” The statement from the woman made Danielle lookup. Her name tag said: Stacie. “I’m afraid they’re reserved for customers who booked their rooms in advance.”

_ What does that mean? _ Danielle thought to herself. She could feel herself going red with the thought of sharing a bed with Elijah. Luckily, he was too busy to notice.

“Please look again,” Elijah leaned in and stared into Stacie’s eyes. “I think you’ll be able to find my reservation.”

Stacie seemed utterly mystified, then without a word, she blinked and, with a few clicks of her mouse, found what she was looking for. Or rather, what Elijah told her she was looking for. Danielle suspected Elijah didn't actually have a reservation. Stacie turned back to Elijah with a smile.

“Well, would you look at that, I found your reservation. Let me get your card key.”

Stacie moved a few things around behind the counter. She pulled out a card and handed it to Elijah. He thanked her.

“Is there anything else I could help you with?”

“Would you happen to have any supplements that cure a,” He paused for a moment, glancing down at Danielle. “Headache?”

Stacie too glanced over at Danielle. The brunette forced a smile, and Stacie nodded.

“I have some in the back room, hang on a moment.”

She disappeared behind a closed door a moment before coming out with a bubble pack of medication. She handed it to Danielle with a smile. 

“I hope you feel better.”

“Thanks.” Danielle responded, popped a pill out, and dry swallowed it.

After a, “Enjoy your stay!”, Elijah thanked Stacie one more time before heading towards the elevator. Danielle followed him and they entered. She knew for certain he wasn’t going to kill her, considering he didn’t leave her for dead. Even so, standing side by side with Elijah in an enclosed space was still intimidating. Oh how Danielle hated elevator music. She couldn’t stand it anymore.

“That was, uh, kinda neat, what you did back there,” When she looked up at him, he was already giving her a curious look. “I mean with that receptionist? What was it, mind control?” She punctuated it with a nervous laugh that wasn't supposed to slip out, but did.

“Similar,” He replied. “We vampires call it compulsion.”

“Cool,” Danielle nodded. “Really creepy, but cool.”

Elijah was a hard person to read. He kept a neutral expression and didn’t seem very guarded, but at the same time, held himself tall and proud, practically proclaiming that he was not to be messed with. He kept one hand in his pocket while the other held the cooler. Danielle could see vague traces of amusement in his eyes, but looked away when he caught her staring. But honestly, how couldn’t she? His looks had gotten him through a lot, from what she had seen in the flashback.

And then, without warning, Danielle's stomach rumbled. She could feel herself immediately flush red. As she silently willed her stomach to go silent, it rumbled again, probably to spite her for not eating for so long. But she had been a little busy, in her defense.

“I apologize,” Elijah started. “I forgot that you hadn't eaten in a while.”

“It's alright,” Danielle shook her head with a nervous laugh. “If we can stop at the vending machine, we’re even.”

“Sure.”

The elevator dinged, signalling to them that they had arrive on their selected floor. The two stepped out and found their room with ease. Danielle immediately claimed the bed nearest to the window while Elijah set down the cooler and his bag. Her bed also ended up being closer to the bathroom, and once she saw it, she realized how badly she needed it. She did, and looked in the mirror while washing up.

Danielle Novak could’ve been a island in the Caribbean. Her hair and makeup were a mess. She was flushed, and for the first time in a long time, she had actual, real, dark circles and eyebags. She hadn’t had eyebags since middle school, when she would stay up absurdly late and feel awful the next morning. Nowadays, having learned her lesson, Danielle slept whenever her head hit the pillow. She tried her best to wash off her makeup, and tied her hair up into a high bun instead of a ponytail. She gave herself a quick once-over. 

_ Glad I didn’t go for the white.  _ She gave her reflection a disbelieving chuckle. 

Her dress wasn’t ruined; She was sure it could be dry cleaned. But some of the rhinestones near her waist had fallen off, and a piece of the fabric had gotten caught in her navel piercing. She fixed it, then went up and adjusted her bra. Danielle decided she would never wear a sticky bra ever again. She looked at herself from top to bottom once more. With a sigh, she placed a hand to her stomach. 

_ Time to go face Elijah. _ She thought to herself. Her hand moved up to her heart, and she could feel how fast it was beating. Somehow, she had gotten so stressed that on the outside, she was calm and carefree, but on the inside she was still a scared, little girl.  _ But how can I not be? He decapitated someone right in front of my eyes.  _ The thought made her want to vomit. She pushed it to the back of her mind and stepped out of the bathroom.

Elijah rose from his place on his claimed bed. He looked at her expectantly.

“Are you ready? We can find that vending machine, if you'd like.”

“You know, I don’t need a babysitter.”

Elijah’s eyebrow shot up, giving her a look as to say, “Do you really think I’d let you go off on your own?”

“Oh right,” She uttered, tossing a sour look to the floor. “How could I forget? I’m a hostage.”

The corner of Elijah’s mouth twitched down. His caution was understandable. If she went off on her own, what’s stopping her from never returning? But it wasn’t like she had a choice. Aside from being in the city Richmond, she had no idea where she actually was in relation to Mystic Falls. Besides, she was hoping to use this time away to rethink who she put her trust into. Keeping that thought to the side, she walked towards the door. Tugging it open, she motioned to the hallway outside.

“Let’s go, then.”

Honestly, Danielle was starving. Hungrier than she ever had been, ever. And when Elijah handed over his fancy looking credit card and said, “Buy whatever you like, however much you like,” who was she to refuse? She looked over her options while he filled up his cooler at the ice machine. A few bottles of water, a Gatorade or two, a bag of cookies, a pack of gum, and a lot of Cheez Its bags later, Danielle’s arms were filled to their capacity. She decided not to bankrupt Elijah on vending machine snack foods. She did feel a bit gross, since she would never spend this much on such unhealthy food, but there was a small part of her that didn’t want him to think she was some sort of junk food addict.

Danielle mentally kicked herself for that. He had kidnapped her, and reassured her of her status as hostage, for God’s sake! She shouldn’t care how he saw her, and yet here she was worrying over his opinion.

She passed his card back with a mumbled, “Thanks.” He nodded, and together the odd couple walked back to their room. Once there, Danielle relieved her arms of the junk, dumping and pushing it to the end of the bed. Sitting cross-legged, she unscrewed the cap off one of the water bottles and nearly downed the entire thing in one gulp. She traded the half-full bottle for the remote that sat on the bedside table, and turned on the television.

“You have any preferences?” She tossed a glance at Elijah, who shook his head,

“I don’t usually watch television.”

“You seem like a crime show kinda guy,” Danielle mused. She watched him consider it, then nod. “Or maybe a news person.”

He shrugged.

“Those aren’t bad.”

“NCIS it is then.”

As Danielle flipped through the numerous amount of channels, Elijah spoke.

“Do you enjoy crime shows,” He faltered. Like Rose back at the house, he realized he didn’t know her name.

“Daniella Novák,” She supplied. “Though most people just call me Danielle.”

Elijah hummed with another nod.

“Then do you enjoy crime shows, Danielle?”

“Yeah. They’re better than reality TV, at least.”

“I agree.”

Danielle didn’t say anything in response, letting a small smile turn up the corner of her mouth. After a couple of episodes, a bottle of water, and a few bags of Cheez Its, she almost forgot she had been kidnapped. She sneaked a look at Elijah when he opened the cooler, curious at what it held. As she expected, there were tons of blood bags stashed inside. Blood bags didn't bother her nearly as much as ordinary blood. She couldn't  _ smell _ a blood bag. He pulled one out, and sipped it like a Capri Sun. It nearly made Danielle laugh.

After a pouch or two, Elijah stood and entered the bathroom without a word. When she heard the shower turn on, her shoulders dropped with a sigh of relief she didn’t even know she had been waiting for. No matter how comfortable TV and junk food made the atmosphere feel, her gut wouldn’t let her forget that Elijah was a threat. If humans were at the top of the food pyramid, vampires had wings.

Danielle suddenly wondered about the flashback. Did Elijah see her life, like she had seen his? Hers was probably significantly shorter than his was.

She unconsciously drew her bottom lip in between her teeth. 

She could ask him, but really wanted to avoid awkward situations. If he had, he would’ve brought it up, right? Or maybe he’s as confused as she was. It sounded impossible for someone like Elijah to be confused about anything, but he was still just a person. Or an Original Vampire. Or whatever.

While knee deep in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed NCIS ending. WWE SmackDown had replaced it, drawing her attention back to her surroundings. Danielle grumbled under her breath. No matter how much her father loved wrestling, it had never rubbed off on any of his children. She flipped through the channels, but every single one either had commercials playing, hours worth of reality TV, or cooking shows. She settled with Cake Boss.

A few minutes in, Elijah stepped out of the bathroom. He sported sweatpants and a T-shirt. It was a drastic change from the suit and tie, but it had been ruined, presumably by the Salvatores. Plus, she didn’t know anyone that would sleep in a suit, but at the same time, she couldn’t imagine Elijah wearing anything else. But it wasn’t a bad thing. It was actually kind of hot. She quickly banished those kinds of thoughts.

Elijah raised an eyebrow at the TV.

“We’re watching a cooking show?”

“Would you rather keep up with the Kardashians?”

“I’d have to pass.”

“Thought so.” A playful smile found itself on her lips.

Elijah sat back down in the chair near the window, and together they started to watch Buddy Valastro construct a cake shaped like a firetruck. He even installed lights and a siren. Though she wasn’t a big fan of cooking, Danielle could give him credit for ambition. Watching cooking shows did make her hungry, so she opened up a pack of cookies. While munching on them, she noticed Elijah looking at her. He looked away when she caught him, but she still said,

“What?”

“You’re going to sleep like that?”

She gave him a look.

“I didn’t get to pack a bag, so I currently do not have anything else to change into.” She worried she accidentally put too much spite in her words, but he didn’t look angry.

Instead, he simply motioned over to his bag, which was peeking out from the bathroom.

“There’s a spare shirt in there, a clean one,” He added when she looked disbelieving. “I don’t believe any of my pants will fit you, though. And tomorrow you’d have to change back into your dress, but if you’d like, you may borrow it.”

Danielle replied with a, “Sure, thanks,” and hopped off the bed. After closing the door to the bathroom, she searched for the shirt Elijah was talking about. He kept everything folded neatly, and his dirty suit was sealed in a plastic bag. 

_ OCD much… _

She found the T-Shirt and placed it on the sinks countertop. As she stripped, she was happy to find that she remembered to wear her trusty spandex under her dress. Last time she had worn a fancier dress, she had forgotten to wear them, and as a result, accidentally flashed Elena’s little brother.

The bathroom was a bit steamy, but she didn’t mind as long as she had hot water. Fortunately, Elijah didn’t use it all, and she was able to shower in peace. After a quick wash, she stepped out of the shower and towel dried her hair and body. She picked up the shirt and shorts. It felt weird to tug Elijah’s shirt over her head. It, unsurprisingly, smelled like him. It wasn’t bad, much more polished than the Axe from Aaron’s car.

_ Aaron! _ Danielle groaned. She had totally forgotten about him. In her defense, a lot had happened since he left her to go party with his friends.

_ Poor boy, probably thinks I ditched him. _ She mentally kicked herself again. Why should she feel responsible for something that was completely out of her control? She sighed.

Danielle was feeling a bit dizzy. She couldn't tell whether it was from mental exhaustion, lack of healthy food, or the bump on the back of her head. She shook it off, deciding to take another dose of Tylenol, and instead folded her dress and exited the bathroom.

She gazed upon Elijah for a moment too long, but she couldn't help it. She never knew another person who could look that cute while intensely watching Cake Boss and sipping a blood bag. A small chuckle fell out of her mouth. When he heard her, he glanced over at her, eyes looking her up and down as his eyebrows drew together. He opened his mouth to speak before Danielle interrupted him, saying:

“I’m wearing shorts.” She lifted the shirt to show him.

His mouth snapped shut at once. An awkward nod accompanied it as he crossed his legs.

Danielle glanced at the clock. It had gotten pretty late. She popped another dose of Tylenol from the bubble pack and downed it with a sip of water. She could feel Elijah looking at her still, and with a small tilt of her head, he spoke.

“Do you have a concussion?”

“Pretty sure,” She responded. “I found a bump on the back of my head.” She added, unconsciously running a hand over it.

She watched his brows knit together again.

“I could help with that.”

“How?” Danielle took another sip of water.

“This may sound a little odd, but vampire blood heals human wounds. I could give you some of my blood to cure your concussion, if you’d like.”

She nearly spit out her water. That sounded crazy, disgusting, but crazy. She shook her head a few times, clearing her throat.

“No thanks,” She said. “No offense, but that sounds gross. There’s no way I’ll be drinking your blood.”

Danielle had come to find that drinking blood was more disgusting than it sounded. At least she had managed to convince him to drip it into an empty water bottle. Elijah had offered it directly from the vein. She hardly had a choice, with him staring at her, sitting so close. She plugged her nose and downed it like a shot.

“Thanks,” She give him an awkward-sort-of-smile and the newly red water bottle.

He nodded, stood up, and threw the bottle in the trash can next to his bed. In the same moment, Danielle’s headache completely disappeared. She fingered for the bump, but it had also disappeared too. All she felt was her damp hair. Even the wound on her lips closed up, as if it had never been there. Finally, she noticed she wasn’t dizzy anymore, either.

“Woah,” She thought aloud. “Uh, really, thanks.”

He waved it off as if he hadn’t just fixed her in the blink of an eye.

“You know,” Danielle started, continuing when he glanced over at her. “You could sell your blood like a street vendor,” She paused when he gave her a weird look. “You could make so much money!” She punctuated the exclamation by flashing her teeth with a smile. “You’d be like one of those evangelical types that try to sell people miracle cures and whatnot, but instead of a bottle of lies, you’ll be selling the real thing.” She nodded, as if what she said made complete sense. Then she added, “Though it tastes like warm pennies…”

Elijah shook his head, letting out an exhale that sounded like an almost laugh. His mouth twitched, and Danielle was pretty sure he was fighting a smile. It made her feel oddly satisfied. Who could say they made an Original Vampire, especially one as neutral and scary as Elijah, almost smile? She turned away from him, hoping he wouldn’t see her cheeks flush. He was really, really goddamn cute. 

She mentally kicked herself for the third time tonight. Where was this Stockholm Syndrome coming from? Well, she was pretty sure she knew where it was coming from. Danielle had never met someone like Elijah. Her natural curiosity made her want to get to know him better, but her rational gut feeling told her to stay as far away as possible. But then there was something else, in the back of her mind prompting her forward, saying, “He would never hurt you, lighten up.” it's not like she’d be able to do that second one, considering they were stuck with each other until Mystic Falls. And she decided to ignore that third one, chalking it up to her going officially insane. So, her next instinct was to remain optimistic, put up a carefree air and go with the flow. It seemed to be working well so far.

“It’s going to be a long day tomorrow,” Elijah said, interrupting her thoughts. “I suggest going to bed.”

“Fine by me,” Danielle said. She picked up the remaining vending machine snacks and compiled them on the table to the side of her bed. She then picked up the remote and shut off the TV. “Night then, Elijah.”

“Goodnight, Danielle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates every Saturday. Thank you for your support and comment if you enjoyed!!


End file.
